“The suo motu proceeding is not meant to demoralise the police force but to remove disparities,” observed a two-judge bench comprising Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Ghulam Rabbani that had suo motu taken up the issue of shoulder (honorary) promotions. — File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Expressing concern over 879 out-of-turn shoulder promotions in the Sindh police, the Supreme Court ordered the provincial police chief on Monday to reverse the decision by bringing back within a week these officers to their original ranks.

“Promotions like these can be detrimental to the morale of the police force,” Justice Iqbal observed. There must be moral courage to defy an illegal deed, he said.

In police parlance, a shoulder promotion means promoting an officer to the next rank by his superior. In normal practice, a board is constituted to decide which officers are to be promoted. Due to delays in the constitution or meeting of such board, police officers are allowed to promote those working immediately under their command when there are vacancies to fill – provided the officers being promoted have the required experience.

Inspector General Police (IGP) Sindh Wajid Ali Durrani informed the court that a total of 879 officers had been granted shoulder promotions in the province. He said some officers had succeeded in getting from the Sindh High Court stays against the March decision of the Supreme Court in which the apex court had held the tendency of shoulder promotions with regard to such elevations in Punjab as illegal.

The state of affairs in the Sindh police especially in relation to the departmental promotions was unsatisfactory, Justice Iqbal observed. He wondered how it was possible for the officers to approach the SHC against a verdict issued by the Supreme Court.

The court directed the Establishment Division to provide by Tuesday details of senior police posts lying vacant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, saying there was no concept of ad hoc promotions in rules for civil servants.

Inspector General KPK Fiaz Ahmed Toru told the court that there was a shortage of senior officials in the province and despite his personal requests people were not willing to work on these posts. Eighteen posts, ranging from BPS-17 to BPS-20, have been lying vacant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The same stance was taken by IGP Balochistan Rao Muhammad Amin Hashim who said his province was also facing shortage of senior police officials.

IGP Punjab Javed Iqbal said that promotions of 47 superintendents police and 32 inspectors had been reversed.

The hearing was adjourned till Tuesday.